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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

They search out & destroy every cardboard box they can lay their teeth on. What I worry about is that they eat it! I'm also wondering is if this is O.K. and should I worry about how much they ingest?

BB AdministratorGeekville

BB Webmaster

380 posts

5/26/2006 8:32 PM

Very good question HoppyBunny!

Most rabbits chew it up, tear it up and consume a bit here and there, but like with any toy, or even bedding, whether it be made of paper, plastic, cardboard, cloth, if your bunny devours it, actually eats large amounts, then you may need to find another favorite.

If you find that your bunnies consume it like it's dinner, then just keep an eye on future toy tests that they can play with. Also, if your already have a favorite toy that would be a good candidate for future toytest, email us.

Do your bunnies like to explore, dig, toss or chew? What perks their interest?

Since your bunnies really like to sink their teeth into cardboard, I wonder if you could do a smaller version with willow mats. Now this wouldn't be completely home-made since the willow mats are are sold at online rabbit shops, like busybunny.com Since they are more flimsy, a triangle shape would be more stable. You could tie them together with string or zipties, and just be sure to cut any hanging pieces.

Then you can get untreated popsicle sticks at a hobby shop, soak 'em in apple juice and use those to strengthen the flimsy mats even more by weaving them in the willow at needed structure points. You can push mint, rosemary and a small amount of shreded carrot through the willow strands too. Or if you prefer less sugar, use parsley instead of carrots. At least this is more edible if they decide to eat it. Those willow mats are meant to be chewed and consumed.

Keep us updated!

HoppyBunnyWestern U.S.

36 posts

6/16/2006 4:24 PM

Wow those are some cool ideas! How about seagrass mats, would those work too?

BBSan Francisco Area

Forum Leader

8705 posts

3/18/2007 12:00 PM

Hey everyone, I decided to bring up this old post because I just read my HRS newsletter, and here is some updated information about cardboard and Newspaper.

source: Article from rabbit.org monthly newsletter.

"Is it safe for my rabbit to chew newspaper and cardboard?
Will the paper and ink poison him?" Deb Jacobson of the
Printers' NationalEnvironmentalAssistanceCenter
(http://www.pneac.org) responds: The formulations for
inks were modified MANY years ago to reduce or
eliminate pigments that contain heavy metals (particularly
lead). Cardboard is typically printed with water-based
flexographic inks and the adhesives used to make the
cardboard are water and corn starch based. Basically
you could ingest it for extra roughage if you so choose
(as do the bunnies).

The newsprint is typically printed with oil-based offset inks
(most common) or water-based flexographic inks and low
grade paper. The paper grade used for newspapers is a
good thing because they have used less bleaching chemicals
and less processing to make the paper. The same is true
for the corrugated.

I would suggest you withhold the slick paper, multi-color
ads. The newsprint with black ink or newsprint with a few
pages of colored ink is fine. One reason is the paper they
use may be a higher grade (more bleaching chemicals
used). The other reason is the pigments in the colored
inks. Some pigments still contain "compounds" of
chemicals that I would not want my "baby" to consume.

For seagrass mats, I have been ordering from this website: http://www.forotherlivingthings.com...17/ i have really liked the quality of the mats, and the price is not bad at all! I order a large quantity at a time though because shipping for me is around $11. my buns DESTROY these things, but now that I have not had any in the house for a couple days they have turned to destroying my carpet...so I am glad they prefer the mats when I have them!

ospreyLos Altos, California

2094 posts

3/19/2007 10:29 AM

For Other Living Things is a wonderful store, I am happy to find other people that are customers. Anita is a big supporter of Rattie Ratz, The Rabbit Haven, SaveABunny and other local rescues. We hold an adoption show there once a month. They carry lots of different toys, mats and baskets that are perfect for bunnies and chinchillas.

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